March 31 is just around the corner and Planned Parenthood staff and volunteers are working double time to ensure our patients and the communities we serve have information about new, more affordable health insurance plans available to them thanks to the Affordable Care Act. March 31 is an important deadline because it marks the end of open enrollment. Barring special circumstances, if Washington residents miss this deadline, they’ll have to wait until Nov. 15, 2014 to enroll.

Thanks to the act, the 85 percent of Washington residents who have insurance have more choices and stronger coverage than ever before. And for the 91 percent of Washington residents who don’t have insurance, or families and small businesses who buy their coverage but aren’t happy with it, they have through March 31 to enroll in new, more affordable plans through the Marketplace including Medicaid.

Zenda Boss-Hall, Bellevue